One of the most famous interludes in musical theater history is "the bench scene" from "Carousel." We might think that it ends with the rhyming verses of "If I Loved You," but it actually ends with dialogue. Julie turns to Billy. "You're right about there being no wind. The blossoms are just comin' down by theirselves. Just their time to, I reckon."
This is a spine-tingling moment. Wind does not knock down the blossoms. They just know to fall at a certain point. It's fate. That's like the fate of Julie Jordan; she is going to fall in love, whether she "chooses to" or not. It's just her time. In this sweeping tragedy, Julie struggles against her destiny. Struggles and loses.
I suspect that Oscar Hammerstein--or the memory of Hammerstein--was a force behind the musical adaptation of "Grey Gardens." This adaptation doesn't need to exist, and it's not great. But it has a moment of greatness in its eleven o'clock number, when Edie (like Julie Jordan) thinks about the wind on Planet Earth.
One little leaf adrift in the breeze
Refuses to fall from the sky.
Blown by the wind--
It clings to the trees--
Unwilling to wither and die.
Edie will defy her fate (or she will try). She will be the leaf that *doesn't* fall to Earth.
In a memorable twist, Edie turns herself into a haunted house:
My season ended a long time ago--
But no one took the party tent down.
The pink paper lanterns still twinkle in place.
My young Navy hero...his tender embrace...
That sapphire blue ocean...Oh, how can I face...
Another winter in a summer town?
This was a match between a terrific song and a brilliant performer; Christine Ebersole seemed to find layers under layers under layers of meaning. I wish there were more material for her in 2025.
Comments
Post a Comment